The electrical utility field has in recent years increased its use of recording devices which are capable of automatically providing computer-compatible information relating to the use and operation of the electrical distribution systems which supply power to the ultimate consumer. Typically, such recorder devices have application in customer study analysis, load survey work, load monitoring, automatic billing, data collecting and the like.
In load survey work, by way of example, the recorder device may be used to provide a data record which is of assistance to the utility company in its evaluation of the load conditions for the different types of customers, and further in the evaluation of the rate structures which are reasonably used for the types of loads involved.
The same recorder device may also be used to record information for billing purposes, whereby labor costs and possible errors in billing are reduced. In yet another application, such type recorder device may be used tO provide a detailed record of information which permits more accurate evaluation of system performance. By way of example, the system engineers for a utility company may find reason to be concerned about the coincident load values at two or more points in the electrical distribution system of such utility. In such instances, a recording device may be located at each point of service to record the information for each demand interval, and the sum of all loads during a demand interval can be readily determined by a careful and studied review of the recorded information.
In yet other instances, the utility engineers may be required to provide information which supports proposed rate schedules, or for justification of existing rate schedules, and the recorded data provided by the recorder device provides the basis for the establishment of fair and equitable rate assignments. These and other uses for and of recorder survey devices are well known in the field.
While pulse recorder equipment has been known heretofore for such purposes, there is a need for a more flexible and reliable type recorder unit which provides data records of such field information.
It is an object of the invention therefore to provide a device which is so operative, and specifically which has the ability to provide a magnetic tape recording of data relating to the load measured by a utility meter along with a time reference in a form which is compatible for use with available data processing equipment.